Scion

Toyota hopes to find out just how small a car Americans will tolerate, based on reactions to the Scion iQ concept, a spruced-up version of the Toyota iQ already on sale outside the United States.

 

Scion is reacting to a trend toward re-urbanization, as young people are leaving suburbs to live in city centers. "They want the convenience of having work, entertainment and culture nearby. For them, a micro-subcompact car is a perfect solution for their progressive lifestyles," company Vice President Mike Hollis said.

 

The automaker will decide whether to sell a production version of the bright-yellow Scion iQ concept, depending on how people react to it. Hollis said the company would look to start selling it "as soon as we could," but he didn’t give a specific target date for production.

 

"If it should join our future lineup, I think it could reach iconic status like our xB," Hollis said during the car’s unveiling at the New York International Auto Show.

 

The Toyota iQ went on sale in Japan last November and hit European showrooms in December. However, there are no plans to sell that model of the iQ in the United States.

 

At just over 10 feet long, the Scion iQ concept is a bit larger than the smart fortwo and adds one more seat in the rear, for a total of three. It features 18-inch wheels beneath bulging wheel arches and side skirts that widen the car’s stance to make it look more aggressive. The front end features a custom grille and high-intensity LED headlights.

 

In deference to young folks who install flat screens and expensive entertainment systems in their cars, the Scion iQ concept features a 10-inch LCD screen in the middle of the dashboard. "When not in use, the screen lays flat on the dash with a translucent cover that emits a colorful display of light patterns, which give it that club-like vibe," Hollis said.

 

The iQ features what Scion says is the industry’s first rear-window curtain airbag, which protects occupants’ heads in the event of a rear-end collision. With a total of nine airbags and a host of other safety features, the Toyota iQ on sale in Japan has received top crash-test ratings.